An idiom is a group of words that, together, communicates a meaning that is different from what the words mean by themselves.
| EXAMPLE | I laugh when my brother looks at me and makes a face. |
The context of this sentence tells you that to “make a face” means to change expression.
Interpret Idioms Use context clues to figure out the meaning of each underlined phrase. Tell the meaning it communicates. Then use the idiom to express your own ideas.
1. When the author travels, he keeps an eye out for interesting masks to add to his collection.
2. He looks for unusual masks that stand out from others.
3. It costs him an arm and a leg to buy a rare and valuable mask.
4. Once when the author lost a mask, he turned his place upside down looking for it.
DRAMA
1 Find a Story Work with a group. Find or write a story to act out.
2 Design Masks Use art materials to create masks for the characters. Decorate the masks with meaningful symbols that match the characters in your story.
3 Plan Your Presentation Decide who will play each character. How will you show the setting and plot? When you have finished planning, then you can practice presenting the story.
4 Present and Discuss Use your masks to act out the story for an audience. Discuss how the symbols express the different characters.
A man in Maranhão, Brazil, acts out a story about an ox.